Hostage story involving Grace
by Goshstorywriter
Summary: Grace's life is threatened and how Josh reacts.


Grace as hostage storyline

This scenario takes place sometime after episode 7, Grace and Josh are sleeping together and the rest of the team either realise or suspect it, but it's not out in the open. However I don't really imagine Connor in this parallel universe.....

The team are searching a large warehouse looking for a dangerous criminal. Dom, Josh and Grace arrive together, Lawson, Stella and Michael are on their way. They quickly search the darkened rooms, guns drawn but they become separated. The boys realise that Grace is no longer behind them and they call out to her. They come into another space and find her but she is behind a metal grill barrier that they can't get through, like a large fence.  
Josh calls out to Grace; " what are you doing over there ? ", he's very concerned.

Grace replies; " I don't know, I thought I was just behind you, I'll backtrack...."  
She moves back and passes a darkened doorway where the criminal is hiding. She sees him but Dom and Josh can't see him from their position. All that they see is Grace suddenly being violently knocked to the ground by the door. Both Dom and Josh yell out her name in shock and point their guns, run over to the barrier but they can't get through or over it. Dom calls for backup. Josh has his gun aimed at the door, waiting to get a shot. He's breathing heavily and shaky, he's not sure how he can shoot the crim without hitting Grace. Dom runs off to find the others ( who were on their way ) and to get around the barrier. Josh is alone now, he sits still with his gun ready watching Grace and the doorway in the shadows. He sees Grace being dragged into the darkened doorway, he swears, takes a warning shot at the door, yells out in frustration " let her go ".

Some time passes, Josh is increasingly frustrated, he radios Lawson, they have arrived and are making their way through the warehouse with Dom. Lawson tells Josh to stay cool, it'll be alright. Josh knows that Grace and the crim are still there in the dark, he can hear noises and its driving him mad not being able to see them. What is he doing to her ?

Next the crim appears, holding Grace tightly around the neck and shoulders, a gun held at her head. Grace is barely conscious, bleeding and stumbling along on her feet. Her TR vest has been removed and she looks roughed up.  
The crim yells; " I'm taking her with me"  
Josh yells back; " let her go, let her go.....she'll only slow you down"  
Crim; " No way " smiles nastily " I've always wanted a cute copchick"  
The crim is now walking backwards, holding Grace tightly. She brings her hands up to his arm but his grip is too strong and she is dazed. Josh still has his gun on the crim and is having trouble keeping his cool. His negotiating skills aren't too good when it is Grace with a gun to her head.  
Josh mutters to himself, "damn it where is Lawson ?"  
The crim now moves out of Josh's sight. Josh gets up and runs in the direction that Dom went but he is now well behind the others.

When they arrive to where Grace was taken hostage, there is no one there. They hear a car driving off and get a vague description of the vehicle, a van. The team is frantic, Lawson feels particularly responsible as the team leader. A thorough search is done of the warehouse but Grace is not found. They find her vest with the camera on it. Leon tracks down local CCTV footage and finds the van. Everyone is worried about Grace. Josh is anxious and irritable, pacing up and down. He demands that Leon show him the footage from Grace's lapel camera but Leon refuses and Lawson has to intervene and calm Josh down. The owner of the van has priors for assault and rape.....

A few agonising hours later they have a possible location to search. When they arrive there is a van fitting the description in the driveway. Josh knocks down the front door and they go in with guns drawn ( all of the team ). They find the crim inside but no sign of Grace. He is cocky and too confident. Their greatest fear is that something serious has happened to Grace in the last few hours, perhaps she isn't here at all.  
Lawson pins the crim against the wall, he's furious, distraught that one of his team has gone missing. The others are shocked, Lawson is usually so cool and calm, this reaction is unexpected. Lawson snarls in the criminal's face; " where is she ?" and pushes him harder into the wall.

They are searching all of the rooms again when Michael finds a computer, there's some printouts of photos of Grace, or at least it looks like her, she is lying on a mattress in her bra and undies, tied up. Michael is disturbed, not sure if it really is her, he hesitates and at that moment Josh walks in and sees him, he comes over; "what's that ?" and snatches it off Michael as he recognises her. It IS Grace. Josh drops the photo in horror and angrily strides back into the other room.

Josh violently wrenches the crim off Lawson and grabs him by the scruff of the collar. The criminal falls over and Josh is on top of him, nearly strangling him, holding him by the neck. Josh; "where is she ? She's here somewhere.....you piece of ..... tell me where she is ....." Lawson struggles to get Josh off the criminal before he kills him. Then Michael walks in with the offending photo which he shows to Lawson. Lawson shoves the photo roughly in the criminal's face, yells; "where is she ?" No answer, just a smirk. Lawson; "get him out of my sight".

Lawson immediately orders a thorough search of the house looking for a basement or hidden entrance, the photo looks like it is in a basement or storage area.

The team are angry and frustrated, they pull furniture away from the walls, break things, frantically searching. Dom and Stella are looking in a bedroom, they look in the cupboard, throw out the clothes. Dom reaches around the edges, he finds a small latch, says "hey got something" and opens a small door. Stella; "its like Narnia in here". Dom fumbles around for a light-switch, finds one, he radios the others; "Lawson we've found an entrance, front bedroom". Dom starts descending the stairs. Josh comes racing into the room ( as Dom expected, after the car bombing incident he's been convinced of a secret relationship ). Josh pushes Stella aside at the top of the stairs. Stella;" hey I can rescue too, you know !" Josh replies; "too slow" and leaves her at the top as he follows Dom down the stairs.

It is cold in the basement, there are lots of cupboards, boxes, spiderwebs. At first they can't see for all the jumbled mess and shadows. Then Dom sees her in a corner, lying on a mattress. Grace is gagged and her hands are tied behind her head to a pole in the wall. She's wearing only her bra and underwear and she's not alert, she seems to be semi-conscious or drugged. Dom gets to her first and pulls the gag off her mouth. "Grace" he says, gently tapping her on the cheek, but he can't get a coherent response. He radios Lawson; "we've got her, we'll need an ambulance". Josh is immediately behind Dom. As Dom unties her hands, Josh tries to get a response from her, she seems to mumble his name. She's very cold and Josh tries to warm her up, leaning over her, trying to hold her in his arms. He wants to take off his own shirt and put it around her but he has too much TR gear on and Dom has nearly finished untying her.  
( Now would be the perfect opportunity for Josh to whip off his dinner jacket and drape it over her, but alas the TR team do not go out in dinner jackets ! Hmm, an undercover denim jacket could do the job..... but I can't imagine rescue-action-Josh in denim, ....so back to the suspense.......)

Josh yells out in the general direction of the stairs and Stella in the cupboard; "get a blanket or something .... NOW ! " Dom has finished untying her and runs back up the stairs where Stella is fumbling with the clothes. Dom; "chuck us that blanket Stell".  
In the meantime Josh has lifted Grace up to his chest and holds her tightly against his body, wrapping his arms around her, supporting her head against his shoulder, one hand on the back of her head. Grace is not herself and doesn't hold on to him, she limply lies against his body, not responding.

Dom returns with the blanket, says; "come on Josh, let's get her out of here". Dom spreads the blanket on the mattress and has to wrench Grace out of Josh's grip. They gently place her on the blanket and wrap it around her. Josh lifts her up and Dom helps him to carry her up the stairs.

As they come up into the cupboard, Lawson is there and he helps carry her out of the cupboard, saying; "is she alright ?". Josh is too upset to respond. Dom; "It's freezing down there, and she's not responsive, maybe he drugged her or something". Lawson gets a glimpse of Grace's pale face as Josh carries her out to the ambulance. He won't let anyone else carry her and only let's go when she's on a stretcher with the paramedics. Then he sits down, shaking, and puts his head in his hands. The rest of the team are also upset but notice Josh's intense feelings for Grace. Lawson comes over and places his hand on Josh's shoulder.


End file.
